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How Do You Know If You have Bedbugs?

How Do You Know If You have Bedbugs?

Small bites that are itchy all over your body may seem like a telltale sign –however, bites from bedbugs may look quite similar to those from other small insects, and they may even look like rashes or hives. Many people present no physical reaction to bedbugs at all, so it’s best to inspect your bed regularly to find signs that there may be creatures other than you occupying your bed.

Bedbugs tend to leave stains where they live – these stains may be blood from a crushed bedbug, or if the stain smears, there is a good chance it is bedbug excrement. If you find any unexplained stain on your sheets or pillowcases, carefully inspect your bed – from the underside of the mattress, seams and tags, to the headboard and any cracks in the bed’s frame.

They are about the size of an apple seed, have flat bodies, and are brownish in color. If it has recently fed, it would look more swollen and reddish. They may also leave tiny eggshells about 1mm in size, and tiny yellow flakes of skin that they’ve shed.

Bedbugs aren’t just confined to your bed – they can also be found on couches, chairs, cushions, curtains and the like. If a room is heavily infested, you will find them in a myriad of other places like loose wallpaper, wall hangings, appliances, and electrical receptacles.

While they prefer to stay where they can readily feed on you, like on the bed itself, they are willing to travel up to 20 feet from where they hide to where they can feed and back.

If you frequently travel and stay in hotels or other places often, you may be more prone to having bedbugs in your home, as they love to hitch a ride on your clothes and luggage – so be doubly vigilant.